PoloDriver

As the fifth-generation Polo gets ready to become another past generation of VW’s small car, Volkswagen Group Australia has announced two new ‘purpose-built’ models. The Polo Urban and Urban+ replace the outgoing Polo Trendline and Comfortline respectively, and come with extra kit for the same price when compared to the cars they oust.

Enhanced specification
The Polo Urban is now the entry-level model to the Australian small Volkswagen range, and adds $1,500-worth of additional features. Its enhanced specification includes 15-inch ‘Tosca’ alloy wheels; illuminated vanity mirrors; a leather-trimmed steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob; a multi-function display; and ‘Urban’ badging.

Move up to a Polo Urban+ however, and the added value increases to around $3,000 in extra equipment. Among the additional goodies are 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels; automatic headlights; dark-tinted windows; driver fatigue detection system; front fog lights; rain-sensing wipers; and, yes, you’ve guessed it, ‘Urban+’ badging.



Inside, there is an auto-dimming rear view mirror; climate control; heated ‘comfort’ sports seats with alcantara trim; front footwell lighting; as well as chrome and silver decorative trim. Metallic paint is a $500 supplement, and buyers can also now choose the Flash Red colour, previously only available on the Polo GTI.

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

Driver Assistance Package
Additional upgrades include a new $1,800 Driver Assistance Package for the Urban+ which includes adaptive cruise control; front assist and emergency braking systems; a ‘Discover Media’ navigation system, as well as front and rear parking sensors. Both the new models are powered by a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine, tuned for 89bhp in the Urban, and 108bhp in the Urban+.

Both the Polo Urban and Urban+ will be available until the arrival of the all-new sixth-generation model, which had its world premiere in Berlin in June, and is due to arrive in Australian showrooms in March 2018.

2017 VOLKSWAGEN POLO URBAN AND URBAN+ DRIVEAWAY PRICES

Polo Urban 1.2 TSI
$16,990 (manual)
$19,490 (DSG)

Polo Urban+ 1.2 TSI
$19,990 (manual)
$22,490 (DSG)

As if GTI and GT TSI and TDI versions weren’t enough, Volkswagen India has announced the new Polo GT Sport, a limited edition ‘warm’ model. A ‘combination of power and efficiency’ is what the Polo GT Sport is all about, and like the standard GT model on which it is based, the new car is available with both TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines.

Exterior and interior updates
A host of exterior and interior updates differentiate the GT Sport from its lesser limited sibling. Outside, a gloss black spoiler, roof foil, ‘GT Sport’ side decals and 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels mark out the Polo GT Sport, while inside there are leatherette ‘GT Sport’-embossed seat covers. As limited as the – non-specified – production run is the choice of colours, with only Candy White and Flash Red the finishes available.

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

Mechanically, the Polo GT Sport is unchanged from the standard Indian-market Polo GT. That means an option of 1.2-litre 103bhp TSI turbocharged petrol or 1.5-litre 107bhp TDI diesel engines mated to either seven-speed DSG (GT TSI) or five-speed manual (GT TDI) transmissions. Standard Polo GT features such as aluminium pedals and electrically-folding mirrors remain.

‘The first choice for buyers’
Speaking at the launch, Thierry Lespiaucq, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Sales India, said: ‘Polo GT has been the first choice for buyers who seek strong power delivery and class-leading efficiency both combined a single carline. The GT badge has always instilled the pride of owning the best, and the Polo GT Sport takes it a notch higher.’

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT Sport (India)

The 2017 Volkswagen Polo GT TSI Sport is priced at INR 9.11 lakh, while the Polo GT TDI Sport costs INR 9.21 lakh (both ex-showroom Delhi). Find out more details about the limited edition Polo GT Sport on the special Volkswagen India website, while learn about the standard features of the Polo GT by clicking this link.

Volkswagen South Africa has revived its iconic ‘Citi’ name for a new special edition version of the best-selling Polo Vivo. Most Volkswagen fans will know the nameplate when applied to the Citi Golf, South Africa’s version of the first-generation Golf which stayed on sale as an inexpensive entry-level car after the second-generation of the venerable hatchback was introduced in 1984.

Special edition of 2,000
Keeping with the spirit of the original Citi Golf, the Citi Vivo is available in a similar vibrant Flash Red, Sunflower Yellow and Cornflower Blue palette as South Africa’s popular Volkswagen, which finally ended production in 2009. Over 377,000 Citi Golfs were built, but the series of Citi Vivo specials will be much rarer, with Volkswagen South Africa stating that only 2,000 examples will be made.

1985 Volkswagen Citi Golf (South Africa)

1985 Volkswagen Citi Golf (South Africa)

1985 Volkswagen Citi Golf (South Africa)

The Citi Vivo is based on the 74bhp/55kW 1.4 Conceptline entry-level model. In addition, the Citi Vivo gains white-painted 15-inch ‘Lakeside’ alloy wheels, door mirror caps, door handles and tailgate release, all of which evoke the image of the Citi Golf, helped by the extensive white ‘CiTi’ decals along the sides and across the rear hatch. Extra equipment also includes an alarm, cruise control, front electric windows as well as front fog lights.

2017 Volkswagen Citi Vivo (South Africa)

2017 Volkswagen Citi Vivo (South Africa)

2017 Volkswagen Citi Vivo (South Africa)

2017 Volkswagen Citi Vivo (South Africa)

2017 Volkswagen Citi Vivo (South Africa)

Best-selling passenger car
The Polo Vivo was introduced in 2010, and has been the best-selling passenger car in South Africa for the past six years, with 229,300 hatchback and saloon models finding homes. In 2016 alone, 28,830 Polo Vivos were delivered to customers, and the car has the best resale value in its class. The Citi Golf’s popularity meanwhile was in part gained from the quirky and humorous television and print adverts that told a uniquely South Africa story.

‘There is no better way to celebrate the success of the Polo Vivo as the best-selling passenger car in South Africa than to pay homage to its iconic predecessor, Citi Golf. The three colours of Red, Yellow and Blue are synonymous with the Citi Golf and it was fitting for us to use them as the only colours for Citi Vivo,’ said Stefan Mecha, Director, Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen Group South Africa.

The Citi Vivo is available to order now and costs R177,300. For more information, visit the Volkswagen South Africa website.

This one slipped past us rather unnoticed. The latest Polo GTI ‘6C’ has attracted largely favourable reviews from both the press and owners, the 1.8-litre TSI-engined version of Volkswagen’s smallest sports hatchback having first appeared in 2015. With a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds and 189bhp, it is the most powerful series production Polo GTI to date. Or at least, until yesterday, we thought it was.

Power boost to 227bhp
It turns out there is an even hotter version of the legendary-badged Polo. Say ‘hello’ to the Volkswagen Polo GTI 230, which, as its name suggested, receives a power boost to 227bhp (230 PS). More surprisingly, it is an officially-sanctioned Volkswagen production product. Launched in April 2016, it is limited to Switzerland only. And, as restricted as its market availability is the number available: only a paltry – but rather neat – 230 examples are available to buy.

German tuner ABT has been roped in to help with upping the power to liberate an extra 38bhp over the standard Polo GTI, which sees the special edition make 265lb ft/360Nm of torque and romp on to a top speed of 149mph. The 0-62mph dash is now 0.2 seconds quicker, too, and thankfully – enthusiasts rejoice! – a six-speed manual is available alongside the seven-speed DSG transmission. Sadly, choice is rather more limited when it comes to the looks: the Polo GTI 230 is only available with five doors.

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

‘GTI 230’ decal badges
As befits a special edition go-faster model, ‘unique’ graphics tell other hot hatch fans what you are driving, with the Polo GTI 230 featuring carbon fibre door mirror caps, as well as a ‘GTI 230’ decal badge on the tailgate, and ‘GTI 230’ red and carbon-coloured foils on the door bottoms, front bumper upright sections and the bonnet. While they are more on the tasteful side, if you’re really a restrained type of driver, they may still be a little too much.

Standard equipment is upped on the regular Polo GTI, too. The ‘Sport Select’ package (amplified cabin sound, enhanced accelerator and steering response, and adjustable suspension), ‘Composition Media’ (with Bluetooth/DAB+ and App-Connect) infotainment system, electrically-folding door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, front central armrest, LED headlights, Volkswagen ‘Plug & Play’ subwoofer-fed 300W sound system, and a winter package all feature on the GTI 230.

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI 230

‘Motorsport’ alloy rims
Perhaps more excitingly, although the Polo GTI 230 comes with the same 17-inch ‘Parabolica’ black and diamond-cut finish alloy wheels as the standard car, a set of black 10-spoke ‘Motorsport’ rims are also thrown in, complete with winter tyres and snow chains to deal with the sometimes harsh Swiss seasons. Optional kit on offer is the same as the regular Polo GTI, and includes a panoramic sunroof and leather or alcantara-trimmed seats.

How much for all this limited number, souped-up Polo GTI? CHF 29,100 to you sir or madam, around £23,251 at today’s exchange rates. A ‘customer benefit’ (yep, us too, no idea) of CHF 5,000 is available but with that not included, the Polo GTI 230 costs around £2,000 more than its standard 189bhp sister. Not that all that matters, as it’s all academic anyway: unless you’re in Switzerland, you can’t buy one.

Will the Polo GTI 230 sell? It still appears on the Volkswagen Switzerland website, so we’re guessing it hasn’t sold out already. The Swiss do have form, though, when it comes to special Polo GTI models: the 100-unit run GTI Carbon Edition of 2012 was even more limited. So it seems, in Switzerland at least, there is clearly a market for a slightly more obvious example of a not-usually-obvious German hot hatchback…

Want to find out more about the Volkswagen Polo GTI 230? Download a brochure here.

The latest special edition of the current fifth-generation Polo has been launched in Germany. Not to be confused with the Polo Beats, the Polo Sound is just one of a new range of Sound models, which encompass all sizes of Volkswagen from the Up to the Sharan. Volkswagens states that the special Sound models have ‘innovative equipment’ and ‘wireless connectivity’, and all have distinctive features.

Distinctive features
On the Polo Sound, those distinctive features include front fog lamps, a gloss black front grille, 65 per cent darkened rear privacy glass, special ‘Sound’ B-pillar badges, and most distinctively of all, suitably-named 6J x 15 ‘Woodstock’ alloy wheels. Inside, there are LED-lit footwells (for that proper ‘nightclub’ feeling no doubt), ‘Equalizer’ dashboard trim, ‘Sound’ cloth-upholstered seats with ‘Wild Cherry’ stitching, and ‘Climatronic’ climate control.

The six-speaker ‘Composition Colour’ infotainment system can be upgraded with the optional 300-watt set-up from the other sonically-christened Polo, the Beats, which brings an eight-channel amplifier and a sub-woofer which really should make the Polo Sound live up to its audibly-tinged name.

Volkswagen claims that the enhanced audio option makes the Polo Sound ‘an impressive private club’, and while we doubt that, it comes as part of an €1250 ‘Sound Plus’ package which includes 7J x 16 ‘Salvador’ alloy wheels and LED-daytime running lights. An R-Line package is also available for Polo Sound models, and at €1185, features 7J x 17 ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels, and an R-Line body styling kit.

Prices for the Polo Sound start at €15,925 for the 1.0-litre 59bhp five speed manual version, rising to €21,175 for the 1.4-litre 89bhp TDI with seven-speed DSG gearbox. Find out more about the Polo Sound on the Volkswagen website.